Courtesy of University of Iowa Libraries and Archives, Griffith, J.E., "The Importance of the Mississippi River to the State of Iowa and the North-West," The Annals of Iowa, Vol. 1871, No. 4, pp. 656-664, 1871
Description
This article appeared in The Annals of Iowa in 1871. The author makes the point that removing obstructions to allow full navigation of the Mississippi will benefit all states. The author points out how the cost of shipping crops via the Mississippi River versus over land would decrease dramatically, giving farmers more profit. The author lays some of the blame for high shipping costs at the foot of monopolistic railroad corporations, who can set their prices at will.
Source-Dependent Questions
- What is the author's opinion about the railroad corporations and how they affect shipping prices? Cite evidence from the text.
- Who does the author think will benefit from clearing obstructions from the Mississippi River? How do you think these obstructions made life difficult for farmers?
- Give two or three specific examples of how the author thinks farmers will benefit if the Mississippi River were free of obstructions.
- What conflicts does the author allude to regarding funding regarding the Mississippi? What solution(s) to the conflict posed by the author do you think would be most effective? Why?
Citation Information
Griffith, J.E., "The Importance of the Mississippi River to the State of Iowa and the North-West," The Annals of Iowa, Vol. 1871, No. 4, pp. 656-664, 1871. Courtesy of University of Iowa Libraries and Archives